Brewer signs bill on new CPS investigations office

Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, (R), speaks during an interview from her office, Wednesday, May 9, 2012, at the Capitol in Phoenix. Brewer says a contraception coverage bill now on her desk is improved since when she voiced reservations about an earlier version as being intrusive. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Arizona’s child-protection agency will have a new investigations office focusing on abuse and neglect cases that allegedly involve criminal conduct.

A bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Jan Brewer to create the new office in Child Protective Services takes effect Dec. 31.

Under the legislation, the office’s personnel will have expertise and training to understand the role of law enforcement so cases involving possible criminal conduct are referred to police agencies.

The unit’s creation was recommended by a task force appointed by Brewer. That followed high-profile incidents where children were harmed despite previous complaints being made to CPS.

The newly approved state budget includes money for the unit.

Another bill signed by Brewer streamlines CPS procedures and makes other changes intended to improve responses to complaints of abuse and neglect.

One comment

eLatinaVoices and its hundreds of members are enraged that it has taken the Governor and legislators this long to react to the abuse and neglect of children in this state. When we hear 8,000+ backlog of cases involving crimes against children at the state CPS level, 432 cases of uninvestigated crimes against children by Sheriff Arapaio’s MCSO and we know that the City of Phoenix Child Sex Crimes Unit has 2,500 uninvestigated or mishandled child sex crime cases, we know that our children are in harm’s way. Where is the legislation to resolve these issues? All voters should be alarmed at how this legislative body has handled the budgeting for this. There was no increase, just a re-shuffling of the same funds. SAD!